Azhir Mahmood  🚀 🤖 🧬 🧠 🪐

Now if only there was a other method of reducing barriers to MRes study at Imperial College? Oh yeah... I remember now. Cancel the £80 application fee, which makes high socio economic class a specific criteria that @imperialcollege is now looking for at entry.https://twitter.com/Imperial_IMSE/status/1356602018433929216 …

I also welcome scholarships to apply & this address a barrier. But Imperial is currently likely to earn >£4m from prospective MRes and MSc applicants, who probably shouldn't be giving a >£1bn turnover organisation £80 for the privilege of having their application processed.

I am still seriously angry that people dismissed the case against the MSc and MRes application fee with "but we will offer scholarships" - this is not the same, and addresses a different part the barriers to study at @imperialcollege

E.G. there are multiple scholarship and bursary schemes that require you have secured a place before you apply to them. E.G. the presence of a £80 MSc/MRes application fee, will put people off applying (we have the data on this)

These barriers affect specific members of our community more than others, and often these are the individuals who have been minorities by the status quo...

... and yet we, as a college continue to do this shit, while saying that "EDI matters". Pull your fucking cheque book out @imperialcollege, and stop cashing other people's speculative application money to do it.

One thing I’ve learnt about universities is “EDI matters” is just a PR buzzwords used protect themselves from criticism. They’re supposed to be trying to appeal to people like me, but the postgraduate process has been a nightmare. I’ve felt pushed out of academia.

OMG. I just lolled so hard. Nothing about this scholarship reduces barriers. It’s just says “encourage under-represented groups to apply”, but it’s not a requirement and actually isn’t part of the stuff they look for. This university PR trying to be “inclusive”.